Thus ended my experience of the glorious battle of August 8, 1918, which spelt the beginning of the end for the Germans, who never afterwards were able to assume the offensive. Before the enemy had been ejected, it was possible for him to observe over the area between Villers Bretoneaux and Amiens and also to shell Amiens, now he was in a state of rout with the Victorious British in close pursuit.
After having my wounds attended to, I was directed to go to the Chateau in Abbey Wood behind Villers Bretoneaux where I was inoculated with anti-tetanus serum, together with all other wounded men, including Germans, Canadians, British and Australians. I was then taken with others to Amiens in a motor ambulance. Here We were given refreshments at the Casualty Clearing Station, were re-classified and sent on still-further by motor ambulance to the C.C. Station at Vignacourt. Wounds were then re-dressed and the wounded entrained, in the waiting Hospital Train for Boulogne.
My wound being only a light one, except for the fact that I could not walk, I was disentrained with others at the 20th General Hospital at Cammeirs near Etâples and was put to bed, all within 15 hours of being in the thick of the fight at Villers Bretoneaux. My wounds were then attended to and I was kept in bed for about eight days when I was allowed to poke about the precincts of the Hospital. The food was good and the place contained a small library and reading room, also a place where we could obtain writing materials.
Behind the Hospital was a Sports Ground where the new “Yankee” troops played a good deal of Baseball, a game in which I must confess I could not gather much interest, although, judging by the shouts of the Yanks, it must be an exciting game indeed when once learned. After being out of bed for a week, I became very bored with the place and resolved to get away as soon as possible. For this reason, I persuaded the Doctor, a fine old Scotsman to allow me to go before the board. To this he agreed after some demur and as men were really supposed to be fit when they went before the Medical Board, I had no difficulty in getting sent to 3rd Medical Base Depot at Etâples Base camp. I remained here, being classed as a kind of half invalid and having no duties to perform for another week, when we were required to pass before another Medical Board.
The outcome of this was that we were all granted three weeks sick leave to England. About the end of August, therefore and in beautiful warm sunny weather, I entrained at Etâples and at 2pm reached Boulogne and proceeded to the Officers Leave Club at that place. We then boarded the Leave Boat at the Quay and by 4.30 pm after a beautiful calm trip across the Channel, arrived at Folkstone. London was reached by 6.30 pm and I lost no time in going straight to Mr. Hookham’s home at Muswell Hill, London where I was always welcomed with open arms.
We sat up half the night to tell one another all the news and it was quite ten o’clock when I turned out next day. My first duty was to proceed to Horseferry Road, where I drew the sum of £20 and bought several items of clothing which I required rather badly. For three more delightful days, I remained a guest of the wonderful hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Hookham and visited the theatre with them during the evenings. We saw “Chu-Chin-Chow” and “Yes, Uncle,” both of which we enjoyed to the full. Much of my time for the first week was spent at the Officers Leave Club at 138 Piccadilly, and at Australia House, at both of which places I met several friends from other battalions, so that I was thus enabled to have a real good holiday.
In addition to “Chu-Chin-Chow” and “Yes, Uncle” which I had visited with the Hookhams, I also accompanied another friend to see “Going Up” and “Shanghai” so that I did all right for theatres. I also paid two visits to Wandsworth Hospital to see wounded battalion comrades and on one occasion conversed with Brig. General Martin, commanding the 5th Brigade, who was very elated over the wonderful success of his Brigade, including the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Btns at the operations of the capture of Mont St. Quentin on September 1st, 1918.
He explained that the 5th Brigade, with only 900 bayonets had made the initial assault on this almost impregnable position and had carried it successfully, taking over 1,000 prisoners and causing a large number of casualties. This was extremely good news to me as the 20th was one of the main units which effected the assault and had won great honour together with the other battalions. The 6th Brigade had followed up this success and had established and consolidated the positions first captured by the redoubtable 5th Brigade, and altogether the division was lauded to the skies by the Army and the press. The French regarded the capture by direct assault, of Mont St. Quentin, overlooking Peronne, as impossible and were astounded when they heard of its capture and also were highly eulogistic in the press.
This episode was important because it cleared the way for the rapid British advance on the Hindenburg Line, where it was thought that the German Army would endeavour to make a final stand.
After leisurely spending a week in this manner in seeing the sights and in generally enjoying myself about London as only a young officer knows how, I made up my mind to visit my Australian aunts who lived at Quigleys Point, near Londonderry in Ireland. I had previously intended to make this trip and had had my leave pass and railway warrant made out to Londonderry, so one afternoon I caught the train at Euston and was soon speeding North West towards Fleetwood, over the most beautiful garden-like countrywide. There is no doubt that to Australians, used to a brown dusty dry country, the rich green verdure of an English country scene is a sight much to be admired.
Passing through the cities of Stafford and Wigan, I finally arrived at Fleetwood at 10.30 pm and went straight aboard the waiting Packet Boat for Belfast. It took all night to do the trip across the Irish Sea to Belfast, but as I was occupying a First Class Cabin, I was enabled to have a good sleep in what was for me rather a narrow bunk. The weather during the trip became rather “nippy” with a stiff, northerly breeze blowing. This gave me a very good appetite for breakfast, and I did ample justice to my ham and eggs. At 8 am we reached Belfast after steaming for about an hour past the hulls of a large number of ships on the stocks, all in various stages of being built, and the noise of hammering was very loud and not conducive to rest for the nerves. We arrived at the quayside at Belfast at about 9 am and as I had until 1 pm to wait for a train to Londonderry, I took a walk around the city and explored a portion of the town which I did per the medium of electric tram. I then had lunch, for which I did not require my ration card, bought a flask of Irish whiskey to taste in order to learn what it is like and then caught my train and proceeded on my four hours trip to Londonderry.
The country, for a distance of 90 miles between Belfast and Londonderry is mostly flat boggy land and from the train window peasants could be seen digging peat and gathering flax into heaps to bleach. I do not remember seeing one decent mansion along the route and the only town of importance was Port—a-down, which of course I am not able to describe. At 5 o’clock, I arrived at Londonderry and was advised to go to the Northern Counties Hotel for the night. This I accordingly did and was shown to a rather seedy looking bedroom where I remained the night. From fatigue or from the effects of the Irish whiskey that I had purchased earlier, I fell asleep however, and missed my dinner at 6.30 pm, so that I was obliged to bribe a typical female “Murphy” to bring me something to eat to my room. All night long the bugs had the use of my body and I was pleased indeed when morning came and I was able to have breakfast, pay my bill and depart.
At about 9 o’clock, I booked my seat in the “Royal Mail” motor car and was soon on my way to the village of Quigleys Pt. a distance of some 10 miles. For this trip I was charged the ridiculously small fare of one shilling and six pence. Quigleys Pt. proved to be a very small country village composed of one street comprising about thirty shops and houses mostly in a sadly dilapidated condition. The population seemed to consist mainly of low class, “boorish” looking Irish peasants, who gazed at strangers with an unintelligent “bovine“ expression, mixed with a kind of antagonism if the stranger happened to be dressed in military uniform. The village was situated on the shores of Lough Foyle, famous in history as the scene of the battle of the siege of Londonderry, at its farthest end. Built nearby also, on the shores of Loch Foyle was a large American Hydro-aerodrome containing numerous Hydroplanes used by our allies, the Americans, in patrolling the North of Ireland for submarines and smugglers etc.
My two aunts lived in rather a nicely situated and large country residence, situated by the roadside, in about 400 acres of land which was known as “the Estate” some of it being sublet to tenants at an annual rental. The Aunts seemed to be “squires” of the village, and Aunt Belle (Mrs. Corcoran) especially impressed me as being an especially well informed woman possessing a sound business knowledge which had enabled her to retrieve the sadly depleted resources of the estate when she first obtained possession years before. She was, in 1918 a lady of some 73 years of age, but was still an exceedingly energetic woman who yet managed to see some use in living, taking a very active interest in life and the management of her affairs.